Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	government_n	reform_a	2,718	5	10.4681	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45330	The beauty of magistracy in an exposition of the 82 Psalm, where is set forth the necessity, utility, dignity, duty, and mortality of magistrates : here many other texts of Scripture occasionally are cleared, many quæries and cases of conscience about the magistrates power, are resolved, many anabaptistical cavils are confuted, and many seasonable observations containing many other heads of divinity, are raised : together with references to such authors as clear any point more fully / by Thomas Hall ... ; with an additional sermon on verse 6, by George Swinnock.	Hall, Thomas, 1610-1665.; Swinnock, George, 1627-1673. Men are gods.	1660 (1660)	Wing H427; ESTC R18061	228,882	316

duty Rom. 15. 5. 1. Cor. 2. 20. Philip. 2. 1 2. The Aut●ors and Fautors of those sad Divisions and sub-divisions which abound amongst us have much to answer for before the Lord. T is easily seen at what do●r they come in upon us The best means that I know to suppress exorbitances in the State is Parliaments and to suppress disorders in the Church is Synods That Synods are Gods Ordinance and have been blest with success from God is confest by all sober men on all hands and why an Ordinance of Christ should lie so long unpractised I know not How long shall the Church of God lie as a Field without a Fence and a Vineyard without a Hedge so that every wilde Beast breaks in upon it For want of Discipline what corruption in manners and Errors in Doctrine like a Flood have broken in upon us and there is none to restrain them for want of it young Ministers begin to degenerate both in their Life and Doctrine since they finde the reins to lie so loose upon their own necks The Presbyterian Government is that Government which by Covenant we are bound to promote it being that Government which all the Reformed Churches of Christ do practice and the onely Platform of Government which carries a Ius Divinum in the forehead of it Let those that can produce a better Platform that model of our late dissenting Anonymus I shall not say Anomalous Brethren hath made the Breach wider then ever yea some that wavered in that point are now convinced of the weakness and insufficiency of their grounds for that way of Independency We have some Government in the State yet Church-Government and Reformation ought to be preferred before that of the State is proved to my hand by a Learned Pen. The Politicians of the World abuse Rulers when they go about to prepossess them with prejudice against the Kingdom and Discipline of Christ as if t were distructive to the Civil Government whereas if they would but look abroad into the world they should find that the Rulers of the world have not more free faithfull loyal Subjects then those that are truly Religious and willing to submit their necks to Christs sweet and easie yoke 4. Restrain that Spirit of Error and Delusion which like Wild-fire hath spread over all the land Nothing will please some men but a boundless Toleration of all sorts and Sects no Magistrate nor Minister must controul them all Government to such ungoverned ones is Tyrannie and persecution How well this Toleration agrees with our National Covenant wherein we vowed the extirpation of Heresies and whatsoever is contrary to sound Doctrine let the world judge T was the great sin of Julian the Apostate that he granted Liberty to Pagans and Hereticks that by letting such weeds grow he might the better destroy Gods Harvest T is charged as a sin upon the Church of Thyatira that she tolerated Jezabel to seduce Christs people Rev. 2. 14 20. 5. It were to be wished that some effectual course were taken for the enjoyning of all Governors under a penalty to send in their children and servants both publickly and privately to be Ca●echized The gross Ignorance which still abounds in the body of our people is lamentable Religion makes the best children the best servants and the best Subjects as we see in Abrahams Catechized Family how promptly doth every one there perform his duty T is just with God to suffer Inferiors to rebel against their Superiors when they suffer them to Rebel against God 6. It were to be wisht that some course might be taken for the better Regulating of Parishes t is sad to see how unequally they are divided In many places one Parish comes to another Parish Church-walls and yet these people belong to another charge it may be three or four miles off Parochial Assemblies if they were made more Uniform and compact are best both for Pastor and people 7. Free-Schools are very much wanting in many parts of the Nation Children are the Seminary of the Church and if the seed be naught the crop cannot be good Quest. But where is the means to maintain those Schools Answ. Since all is devoured I know but one way that is left and that is by the Improvement of Commons and Wast-lands they might if wisely managed by Commissioners from Parliament for the Cormudgeans of the world will never consent to part with a Turff for Christ if they can help it be improved to ten times the value that now they are at to the benefit of the Parishioners and the advancement of many pious Uses 8. It were to be wisht that all Market To●ns that are very populous and have men fit for Government in them were freely made Corporations and that Inferior Market Towns had a Iustice of Peace either in them or planted very near them that the people might not run seven miles to have a Swearer Drunkard or Sabbath-Profaner punisht This would prevent abundance of sin which is committed in these places at Markets and Fairs especially for want of Iustices The Lord the Righteous Judge of all direct you by his Spirit preserve you from sin and error he fasten you as a nail in a sure place crown your endeavours with success for the setling of Truth and Peace upon firm foundations in this distracted distressed Church and State he make all Mountains a 〈◊〉 before you that you may be the Repaires of our Breaches and the raisers of the Foundations for many Generations that the children unborn in their Generations may Rise up and call you blessed This is and shall be the Prayer of Your devoted Servant in the work of the Lord Tho. Hall Kingsnorton Septemb. 10. 1659. Christian Reader MUch might be said and that deservedly concerning the beauty of this Exposition of the 82 Psalm called by the worthy Authour The Beauty of Magistracy it discovering that Ordinance of God Magistracy in its genuine Beauty and Lustre As my many occasions would permit I have perused several parts thereof and can assure the Reader that I find the Exposition solid and judicious the method clear and perspi●uous the stile terss and clean yet grave and Theological the application warm holy and proper the whole learned gracious and worthy the eye love and practice of a judicious Reader who hath the encourag●ment to peruse it and also that he may do it with profit the prayers in his perusing it of His Servant in our Lords Work W. Ienkyn Febr. 3. 1659 ●0 The Beauty of Magistracy AN EXPOSITION Of the 82. PSALM A Psalm of Asaph OR A Psalm for Asaph VER 1. God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty he judgeth among the Gods TO speak any thing in Commendation of the Book of Psalms were to pour water into the Sea or to set up a Light to the Sun t is so fully done already by others that I shall only refer you to them and so

sequitur for the Apostle doth not speak there of Magistracy b●t of the Ministry q. d. the weapons of our warfare who are in the Ministry are spiritual not carnal we do not look to prevail b●eloquence and fine speeches by ●lattery and dissimulation or by worldly force and power but by the mighty power of the Gospel which is able through the help of God to pull down the strongest hold of flesh and blood Objection 11. John 8. Our Saviour would not punish the woman taken in adul●ery Ergo the Magistrate must not punish offenders Answer Non sequitur T was the Magistrates duty to punish such but Christ having no Commission to meddle with the sword let her go But of this elsewhere Objection 12. The Magistrate is called an Humane Ordinance Ergo it may be pulled down by man 1 Pet. 2. 13. Answer Non sequitur for Magistracy is called the Ordinance of man or an Human creation not because t was invented by man or hath its Original from him for all power is from God though men may chuse the man yet t is God that confers the power and commands us to obey him for his sake i. e. because t is his will to govern us by such But it is called the Ordinance of man 1. Subjectivè because it is seated in man and is managed by him and the choice of the kinds of Magistrates is for the most part left unto men to chuse what form of Government is most commodious for them that so they might more willingly yield obedience to them hence some have Kings some Consuls some Protectors some Emperors Now second causes do not exclude but include the first though men chuse mediately yet God orders and disposeth all by his overruling power to his own praise so that in respect of their Original appointment and Institution they are an Ordinance of God 2. Objectivè because it handleth humane affairs 3. Finaliter in respect of its end t was ordained for the benefit of man and for the preservation of humane Society Objection 13. Revel 4. 10 11. The twenty four Elders cast their Crowns before the Throne Ergo Magistrates when they are converted to Christianity must cast away their Crowns Answer Anabaptistick Logick still 1. The Text is a Vision and Arguments grounded on Visions are very weak and seldom demonstrative 2. The Text doth not speak of Magistrates but of the whole Church Triumphant represented here by the twenty four Elders for as the twelve Patriarcks in the Old Testament were as it were the root of the Israelitish Church so the twelve Apostles by their doctrine were as it were the foundation and Original of the Christian Church who cast their Crowns before the Throne acknowledging all they have to be of free grace and mercy not merit 3. Suppose it did speak of the Christian Magistrate yet the sense of the place would amount but to this That since Magistrates have received their honour and dignity from Christ therefore they lay all at his feet again giving all the praise of what they are and have to him who was the donour of them Vse 2. IS Magistracy Gods Ordinance Then it will necessarily follow that a Christi●n may with a safe conscience undertake that office when called to it that Order which is just holy and good must needs be pleasing unto God and so may safely be undertaken by good men but Magistracy being Gods Ordinance must needs be so for all Gods works and Ordinances are honourable and glorious and do ennoble not debase the creature Psal 111. 3. As the Ministry is Gods Ordinance and Marriage is Gods Ordinance so they are pure and good and a man may live in those conditions with a pure conscience pleasing to God so à Pari for the same Reason since Magistracy is Gods Ordinance a Christian may lead a life pleasing to God in that Office And the Examples of all those good men that in the Old and New Testament have born that Office as I have shewed before and have been high in Gods favour shews plainly that the office may be undertaken by Pious men 2. That which God hath promised as a choice mercy to his people in Gospel-times the Administration of that cannot be unlawfull but such is Magistracy as hath been fully proved before 3. Is Magistracy Gods Ordinance then none may usurp it or en●er upon it without a Call from him As in 〈◊〉 Ministry no man may take that honour to himself but he that is called so in the Magistracy none may assume this office to himself but he that is called of God either mediately or immediately ordinarily or extraordinarily As no man can preach ure and authoritatively but he that is sent so no man can execu●e Justice juridically and authoritatively but he that is sent T is true it may be some private persons may have abler gifts for Magistracy then some that are in office yet may he in no wise exercise those gifts without a call and if he should condemn and execute a man t is murder in him because God never commissioned him to such a work As God was angry with Cora● Dat●an and Abiram for opposing Moses as well as ●aron So he is the same God to the same sinners still As two things must concur to make a Gospel Minister viz. 1. Gifts 2. A Power to execute those gifts So these two must concur to make a Magistrate 1. Gifts and Qualifications sit for his place 2. A Commission and Call to execute those gifts Skill to govern Power to mannage that skill and will to actuate both make a compleat Magistrate Let a man be never so well gifted or graced were he as holy as Iob as wise as Solomon as learned as Moses and Daniel yet without a call and solemn designation to this work he may not act as a Magistrate or if he do he can look for no success or blessing from God in what he doth These fight against God and cannot prosper they break that ranck and order which God hath set up in the world T is per me and not per se that Kings reign Prov. 8. 15. tis God that hath made them Magistrates as well as men and not they themselves Psal. 100. 3. Judging and Preaching are not meer acts of Gifts but Office Let every man therefore abide in that calling wherein he is called for they are o●●times most insufficient who think themselves most sufficient for this weighty calling Ambition is an argument of unworthiness Ne sit qui ambit let not him speed that sues let not those be preferred that would have places but such as places would have T is rebellious Absolom 2 Sam. 15. 4. and Tyrannical Abimelech that sue for rule The fat Olive the fruitfull Vine and pleasant Fig tree refuse preferment but t is the scratching Bramble the tearing Briar an empty Keck a worthless and fruitless shrub that